The Practice Path

Next week our Suzuki Piano Teacher's Guild has it's first meeting of the year.  We are going to share and discuss studio policies.  Studio policies include tuition and how it is paid, how make-up lessons are handled, and other important details of the teacher's discretion.

The most important studio policy is that of practicing.  Here are the practice requirements in my studio:

3 to 5 years old. . . 10 to 30 minutes, five to seven days a week
1st to 6th grade. . . 30 to 60 minutes, five to seven days a week
Jr. High. . . 45-60 minutes five, to seven days a week
High School. . . 60-90 minutes, five to seven days a week

Kids are too darn busy.  Where to they get that from?

The same first lesson of the Fall talk is going on in studios everywhere:  when are you going to practice? What is your schedule?  You have to have a plan.  You can do it if you have a plan.  Ideally it should be the same time every day--a time that can be consistent.  Write it on the calendar.  Don't schedule appointments during that time.  Don't answer the phone.  Don't text or email.

Let me vent for a brief moment.  Kids don't bat an eye at two to three hour nightly soccer practices, with games all weekend, but ask them to practice for an hour a day and they get tears in those same eyes.  As one high school girl choked up today during the back to school practice talk, I had to remind her:  you love music, you love to play the piano, this is not a punishment.  Enjoy your practicing.  To borrow the phrase: JUST DO IT.

My dear friend has a son who isn't crazy about practicing.  She makes him practice an hour every night.  She reminds him, you don't have to milk the cows or hoe a row.  You don't have a paper route. This is your job.   Your only job.

Time?  My experience is that once you get the kid to the piano, time isn't usually the issue.  It is just getting to the piano.  That is why commitments like practicing everyday for a year are so valuable.

The practice incentive this Fall is all or nothing.  Sixteen weeks of six days a week and meeting your goal every week.  Then the child earns a gift certificate from me.  For fun.  The gift certificate could never equal the value of 96 days of practicing.  Don't panic--there are a couple built in buffer weeks in case of emergencies.

Good luck.  I'm heading up to practice.  I'll meet you hour for hour day for day . . starting. . . now!